I BOUGHT MY FIRST 12-bore when I was 16. It was a BRNO sidelock non-ejector, purchased from an advertisement in Shooting Times with the aid of a loan from my mother. The BRNO replaced a singlebarrel AYA .410, and it proved to be much more effective against the local woodpigeons. I was an avid reader of this magazine, and so I was well aware that though I had a suitable gun, I also needed an equally suitable dog. Thankfully, this was no problem: I recruited the family cocker spaniel, Kim, to join me on my shooting forays.
Kim relished our many shooting expeditions, and I'd love to recall that he was a natural gundog. Frustratingly, however, he wasn't. In fact, he was next to useless - so much so that in most cases, his only contribution to a day's shooting was his companionship.
This wasn't really surprising, though, as he came from many generations of show-bred dogs and could trace his pedigree all the way back to Tracey Witch of Ware, a famous cocker bitch that won Best in Show at Crufts in 1948 and 1950.
As all gundog books will tell you, if you want a working gundog, avoid dogs with show blood. Graham Gibson, in his book Complete Training for the Working Spaniel, notes: "It is imperative that the buyer chooses a dog with mainly field trial and working lines in its pedigree." This is echoed by virtually everyone who has tried to train a gundog. HPRS are an exception, as there's less of a division between working and show-bred dogs.
Denne historien er fra May 10, 2023-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra May 10, 2023-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside